Zenith El Primero Lightweight Automatic (Ref. 10.2260.4052W/98.R573)

Previously restricted to their ultra-weird Defy Xtreme series, a light-weight carbon-fiber body is finally available for a more serene El Primero family. The new Zenith El Primero Lightweight (Ref. 10.2260.4052W/98.R573) watch justifies its name not only with the high-tech material, which is usually reserved for aerospace industry and motor sports, but also with lots of titanium, as well as with extensive use of skeletonization techniques.

Titanium, by the way, was used to craft main components of Caliber El Primero 4052 W automatic movement that powers the piece. All main parts, those including mainplate and five bridges, were crafted from the lightweight metal reducing the total weight of the engine to just 15.45 grams, while a “normal” self-winding mechanism of similar dimensions and functionality is usually about 1/3 heavier than that. The choice of metal seems to be the only difference between this new mechanism and the base Cal. 4052 mechanism that, for example, also powered the gorgeous El Primero Striking 10th model that was revealed back in 2010.

Visually, the new gadget looks like your normal Zenith El Primero chronograph, but features a number of elements that make it look a lot more interesting than previous iterations of the watch.

The first thing that you notice is, of course, the case. Quite large at 45 millimeters in diameter, it looks defiantly sporty with its unusual, checkered (like the flag, right) grey-and-black surface. I don’t really understand how they did it, but the body is equipped with “openworked” lugs that make this sporty timekeeper look even more energetic and, again, more lightweight.

The idea of lightness is further reiterated with a three-dimensional dial. Skeletonized to the barest minimum, the face of the new Zenith El Primero Lightweight is equipped with the famous overlapping chronograph sub-dials in their signature grey, blue and anthracite colors reserved for small seconds hand,60-second and 60-minute chronograph counters respectively.

The bright red central hand with the trademark Zenith star performs the timekeeper’s main function: moving at increments of ten times per second, it increases the chronograph’s accuracy to (well, you probably already guessed) just 1/10th of a second allowing you to measure intervals with impressive precision. Of course, a cheap electronic stop-watch does that (and more) at just a tiny fraction of the price, but only this gorgeous watch does that in such a high style.

Its total production is going to be limited to just 100 pieces, which is really a pity although the suggested retail of CHF 19900 still makes the subject of this brief review prohibitively expensive for a great majority of the brand’s fans.